Time marches on and so too does APEX Season 3. The three month epic reached another milestone on Tuesday with 3-0 victories for both Meta Athena and AF Blue closing out the group stage. Although a relatively short broadcast up until that point, the fans would be treated with some memorable player antics before the day was out.

Seeding

With only the top two teams from each of the four groups progressing, our field of competitors for Season 3 has now been cut in half. The group winners had earned priority in the draw process for first phase of the playoffs, the so-called quarterfinals, which are actually two GSL style groups.

Group winners

Group runners-up

The drama of the draw

As is now an APEX tradition, the drawing process would be conducted live by the players themselves and, as usual, it was Taimou (with translator in tow) who stole the show to set EnVyUs up with the best possible chance at another title.

The stage was set with the team representatives perched on stools like Overwatch's deadliest boyband. In the front row we had the four group winners; tobi, ArHaN, Saebyeolbe and Taimou. Each was invited to take a sealed ball containing the numbers one through four. It was then that the madness began to unfold...

A nervous excitement crept through the four men sweatily clutching their balls. ArHaN and Saebyeolbe quickly negotiated a swap. The crowd was loving it. The thrill of the blind gamble. Taimou wanted in on the action, he hesitated for a moment before agreeing to the reswap with Saebyeolbe. An impulsive action that may well prove to be his greatest play this season.

Lunatic-Hai's Lucio god, tobi, was resolute. He would not be swapping. "You gotta believe!" was his mantra in-game and out. As the man at the head of the line, it would not be long before he realised the error of his ways, pangs of regret painted across his face as he unfolded a crisp #4.

As the balls were cracked open it became clear that Taimou had secured nV the first pick in one of the most intimidating fields in Overwatch history. Grinning ear to ear, the Finnish sharpshooter placed EnVyUs in Group A before quickly snatching up X6-Gaming as their first opponents - a decision he "based on scrim results" - before appealing to all Western fans to cheer for EnVyUs.

X6's BeBe was surprised to be picked by EnVyUs, but as a runner-up it was always going to be out of his hands. ArHaN stepped up to the board next, stating that he would avoid CONBOX at all costs as he still had bad memories from Season 2. Meta Athena would be his victim. Having called Taimou's earlier bluff that he would like to face-off against Meta, ArHaN went on to predict EnVyUs would lose to AF in the winner's match and be eliminated in the lower bracket.

When asked for his thoughts, NUS agreed with the picks, citing X6 as the weakest of the pack and declaring Group B to be the group of death. The Meta Athena camp were both happy and fearful at the prospect of facing a resurgent AF Blue, but felt "re-energised by their win today".

Saebyeolbe had been really gunning for a chance to take on EnVyUs - mourning the missed opportunity to test his Tracer against EFFECT's - but now relishing the chance to compete with the strongest teams in Group B. He picked out CONBOX Spirit as the "relatively easier" opponent, adding "we had a win against them before, so we can do it again".

All things considered, Gamsu felt that being picked by LW Blue was the lesser evil compared to Lunatic-Hai. "We've got a lot of things to work on", he mused, but when asked about his chances against LW he reckoned it was 50:50, which drew laughter from Saebyeolbe. He also revealed that he had wanted to face AF Blue, but would now have to hold off until the semifinals. CONBOX's goal would be to prove that they are not a weak team to be looked down upon.

By now tobi had just about recovered from his earlier decision not to gamble, sheepishly conceding that "Group B is a bit stronger overall". Having ended up fourth in the queue there were no further choices - Lunatic-Hai would be facing Kongdoo Panthera. "KDP are a team that we have beaten before, so we have a lot of confidence going in", he stated assuredly. But when asked if there was a team he had hoped to avoid, he named his newfound groupmates LW Blue with a anxious laugh. His final remark, "We will work hard as always!", was the cue for the fervent L-H fans to erupt.

The mic was passed to a slightly overwhelmed Rascal. The hosts wanted to hear his thoughts as he came to terms with facing the defending champions first. "It's a bit complicated right now! Ever since the Round of 16 it seems like the group selection hasn't been in our favour. We are in the group of death always!", he said, accepting his fate.

Quarterfinals groups and schedule

Check out our event page for a clearer look at the brackets and the road ahead.

Group A

Group B

Although EnVyUs may be on the pig's back now with an objectively easier placing, the formation of the group of death actually means that the two strongest Korean teams will be on opposite sides of the bracket when the semifinals roll around. There will be no easy road to the finals for either AF Blue or EnVyUs this time around.

Image credit: OGN